KARACHI, June 27: A woman was killed and a dozen others, including some policemen and children, sustained wounds when a police van entering a crime-infested locality of Dalmia came under a hand grenade attack on Wednesday, officials said.

The officials added that more than a dozen officials of the Aziz Bhatti police station, acting on a tip-off, moved into the thickly-populated Mujahid Colony on two vans. As the vehicles entered Street 12, a hand grenade exploded near the one in front. The explosion was followed by a gun attack.

“Most of the policemen remained unhurt, because they were inside the moving vehicle at the time of the explosion,” said an official at the Aziz Bhatti police station.

“But the blast left many pedestrians and children, who were playing in the street, wounded,” he said, adding that all the victims were rushed to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital and the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre.

The victims were identified as 40-year-old Shakila, Naseeb Gul, 40, Safdar, 20, Siraj, 21, Mohammad Junaid, 18, Abdul Waheed, 19, seven-year-old Shehzad and his brother, Rustam, 10, Sultan, 12, five-year-old Sunny, eight-year-old Faisal Siddique, Sub-Inspector Mashooq Ali and 40-year-old police constable Mohammad Naveed.

“Shakila died during treatment. A few others were released after being provided first aid, while some of the injured underwent minor surgeries,” said the official.

Heavy contingents of Rangers and police cordoned off the area following the explosion and gunfire.

“The attackers were most probably associated with Mama Ishaq group — an offshoot of Lyari gangsters,” said DSP Pervez Iqbal Bhatti, the area’s sub-divisional police officer.

“We moved to the area on reports about the presence of criminals wanted in several cases of murder, drug peddling, robberies and kidnapping for ransom. Finding themselves trapped, the criminals attacked the police party.”

Following the grenade and gun attacks, the suspects also held one of the injured policemen as hostage but abandoned him shortly afterwards while fleeing after the area was cordoned off by the law enforcers.

“We have rounded up nearly half a dozen suspects. They are being interrogated. The findings will hopefully lead to more action from the law enforcers,” he added.

Two bodies found

Earlier before dawn, officials of the Kalri police station on patrol spotted a suspicious-looking gunny bag, which contained the body of a young man, near the Baghdadi police station.

“With a single bullet wound, the body has severe torture marks. The victim’s hands and legs were found tied with rope,” said a police official.

Another body bag was found in a garbage dump near Hoti Market in Ramswami at night, said an official at the Nabi Bux police station.

“The victim, in his 20s, had sustained two bullet wounds to his head and chest,” said DSP Zahid Hussain Siddiqi.